The Europa League match was Everton season-ticket holder Danny’s first European away trip.

The teenager said: “There was a big bang and there was smoke everywhere and then all of these riot police officers came down.

“I just saw this thing coming at me, I don’t know what it was, maybe a gas canister. It hit me right in the face. It was like somebody punched me.

“My dad grabbed hold of me and we got inside a shop before they closed their shutters. I realised it had burned my skin.

“We saw the police gas Everton fans and start hitting some of them.

“Before they came we were all just singing Everton songs and having fun. There was no need for it.”

The Pensby High School pupil was given first aid by a woman working in the newsagents where they sought shelter.

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His dad said that 10 minutes later the police had gone and locals began putting out chairs again in the square.

He said: “There was a party atmosphere in that little square, footballs were being kicked around and there were people from Lille walking past wanting to have their photographs taken with us and our flags. It was great.

“We went to Nuremberg when Everton played them in 2007 and it was similar to that, it was like a carnival atmosphere.

“The way the police reacted was crazy. It was horrible. It was like they were firing a warning shot but there was no need to.

“Danny got a bit more first aid at the ground, after they seriously frisked me and him twice.

“The day went a bit sour because of it.”

Paul Tarrt with with his son Danny

The ECHO understands a Merseyside police “spotter” travelling with Blues fans alerted his French counterparts to the sighting of a known hooligan and a suspected drug dealer at around 2.15pm.

A spokesman for the local force said plainclothes officers wanted to arrest the men, but came under attack from fans who were unaware that they were police.

Tear-gas was deployed in the city’s Grand Place and two rubber bullets the size of golf balls were fired at fans after bottles were hurled at officers as they moved in to make arrests.

There is not thought to have been any significant further trouble as Everton drew 0-0 with Lille, a result which saw the Blues remain top of Group H.